


Reflections in the Dark

by RoRoUrBoat



Series: Pridecember 2020 [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Character Study, Coffee Shops, Established Relationship, Introspection, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:33:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27819808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoRoUrBoat/pseuds/RoRoUrBoat
Summary: Pridecember Day 1 - CoffeeAtem and Seto discuss coffee. Neither is talking about coffee.
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi | Atem
Series: Pridecember 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035744
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	Reflections in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy y'all! This is my first work in the fandom, and I'm super excited to be participating in Pridecember! I really love Atem and Kaiba's relationship, so I hope I did the characters justice. Comments and critiques are greatly appreciated!

Atem liked cafes. The busy ones, not the quaint, quiet ones that Yugi and Anzu visited every once in a while. He liked the hustle and bustle of the popular ones, baristas shouting to one another while coffee-addicted businessmen rushed them, probably running late for some meeting or another.

The noisy atmosphere soothed him, in some backwards way. It was someone mistepping and stumbling into him, muttering a quiet apology before running off. It kept him in the here and now while simultaneously reminding him that he was nothing to the people around him.

And that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Atem had been a great many things to an even greater many people in his short life. Son. Pharaoh. Friend. King of Games. Partner. Other self. Rival. Sometimes, it got hard to keep track of what he was to who, and how that meant he should act.

Atem looked up from his musings as a young barista maneuvered through the crowd to his little table, setting an expertly-poured latte down in front of him. It was a cute thing, soft and warm and exactly the sort of drink Yugi would like. The barista bowed and walked away. Atem hid a smile behind his cup before he took a sip and grimaced. It wasn’t quite right. Again. Too sweet. Again.

Sighing, he set the cup down and stared down into the foamy surface, the last vague visage of a leaf still legible through the sip he’d taken.

He felt a certain melancholy looking at the leaf. It had been irreparably changed, shifted from one thing into something else because of a gesture as little as him taking a sip. Atem snorted to himself. Waxing poetic about leaves and coffee, huh? He must be going crazy. He hung his head and closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted.

Maybe he was seeking comfort in the dark behind his eyelids, maybe he really was just tired. Regardless, Atem’s shut eyes twitched as his mind conjured shapes to fill the darkness he now sat in. Images of those first sojourns out of the puzzle. Doling out punishment games and hurting others in the name of some twisted justice. No, there was no comfort in the dark. 

At the same time, though… Atem took a steadying breath and was quickly awash with the smooth, dark scent of roasted coffee beans. It was bitter and harsh and sharp, but something inside of Atem settled nonetheless. Atem clenched a fist around his cup.

There  _ shouldn’t _ be comfort in the dark, the bitter, the harsh. It should be easy to settle into the sweet and simple. As if proving a point to himself, Atem took another swig of his latte, a challenging glare setting onto his features.

He barely managed to swallow past the cloying taste of sugar assaulting his tongue. 

Atem sighed. Maybe he’d never get this whole  _ being a person _ thing right. Atem let his head fall to the table and groaned. 

“What, is the coffee too rich for his highness?”

Atem’s head shot up at the voice across from him. Somehow, without his permission or notice, someone had settled into the seat opposite him.

Not that Atem was particularly surprised. He  _ had _ been the one to invite Seto here, afterall. Atem leveled a flat look at him, to which Seto responded with a raised eyebrow.

Atem furrowed his brows and reached to take another drink. Challenge accepted.

Before Atem could actually grab the latte, though, Seto snatched it from across the table. He spared an amused glance for the ruined latte art before taking his own sip, wrinkling his nose and frowning in distaste. Atem couldn’t help but notice how cute a gesture it was, frown and all.

“This is disgusting,” Seto declared, acting for all his worth like he was the king there instead of Atem.

Atem cocked his head. “You don’t like it either?” Seto stood up without answering. He went to the counter, ordered a drink, and came back. He stared at Atem. Atem stared back.

In surprisingly few minutes, a barista rushed over to deliver Seto’s drink. She bowed, Seto nodded, and he wordlessly passed his drink to Atem. 

Atem sniffed it. It was smooth and rich, deep and complex. Atem had no idea what it was, but he never left a challenge unanswered, so he took a swig.

He put the cup down and quirked an eyebrow at Seto, an answer to his challenge. Then, as though he had just now noticed the taste of the drink, Atem looked to it, studying it as though he could find its secrets in the styrofoam. Seto gestured to the drink, and Atem took another sip.

It was… grounding. Steadying in its bitter heartiness. Atem spared Seto a glance before he took the lid off and stared into the cup. It was… Dark, to say the least. No hint of syrups or cream or sugar.

Atem narrowed his eyes at Seto.

“What game are you playing at?” Atem narrowed his eyes at Seto. Seto shrugged. 

“Your coffee was gross. I got you a new one.” It was so simple, yet so much had been left unsaid. Atem waited for him to continue. 

Seto looked into Atem’s eyes as he said, “There’s a certain comfort in bitter and dark.” Before Atem could respond, Seto stood up and walked to the door, coffee in one hand while the other swung at his side. Atem started after him.

“Besides…” Seto murmured as they walked, face turned away, “I like it this way.” Atem stopped and stared. Were they still talking about coffee, or…?

Seto looked back at him and tapped his watch, making a face. Atem shook his head and jogged to catch up. 

If he slipped his hand into Seto’s while they walked, well, neither was going to complain.

They liked it that way.

**Author's Note:**

> lol drop a comment


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